Wrench.



Patented Ot. 29, |901. G. F. SPRAGUE.

WR E N C H.

(Application med .my so, 1901.)

(No Model.)

rm: cams PETER; co. wnoruumo, wAsnmcTcN, o, c4

UNET@ STATES GEORG-E FRANKLIN SPRAGUE, OF GETTYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA,ASISIGNOR OF ONE-IIALF TO SAMUEL H. GARISS, OF PORT JERVIS, NEW YORK.

WRENCH.

SPECIEICATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,698, dated October29, 1901.

Application tiled July 30, 1901.

To all whom/it Wto/,y concern.:

Be it known that I, GEORGE FRANKLIN SPRAGUE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Gettysburg, in the county of Adams and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ratchet-Wrenches, of which the following is a speci fication.

My invention relates to certain improvements in wrenches, andparticularly to that class of wrenches in which the jaws are mountedupon a base capable of being revolved by a ratchet mechanism in eitherdirection.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the most simpleand economical character in which the jaws will be firmly held andguided; and, furthermore, it consists in means for changing apawl-operating mechanism, so that the action of the pawl4 on the teethof the ratchet-wheel may be made effective in either direction ofmovement.

With this and other objects in Viewthe invention consists in theimproved construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, asmore fully specified hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of aratchet-Wrench constructed in accordance with my invention, the top orcover plate being removed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevationof the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation of the wrench onthe line 3 3, Fig. 2; rand Fig. 4 is a plan View of a portion of thewrench-handle, illustrating the construction of the pawl-operatingmechanism.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in thevarious figures of the drawings.

1 designates a base or handle, provided on its upper face with a recess2, enlarged at its outer end for the reception of a toothed wheel 3, thelatter being mounted on a stud 4, secured to the'handle portion andcapable of free movement thereon in either direction.

Secured diametrically across the Wheel 3 is a channeled bar 5, having acentral narrowed web 6 and iinished to form guiding-faces for thereception of the shank portions of oppositely-disposed jaws 8. In theend walls 9 of Serial No. 70,277. (No model.)

ing or closing of the jaws by a milled operating Wheel or disk 12.

In the recess 2 of the handle is secured a stud-14, on which is mounteda pawl-block 15, having on each of its forward edges a tooth 16, adaptedto engage with the teeth of the wheel 3, the construction andarrangement of the pawl-block being such that but one of the pawl-teethcan be engaged with said wheel at a time.

The recess 2 is of double-V shape in contour, the contracted portions 17forming 4fulcrnms for an operating-spring 18, one end of which has aslightly-rounded head 19, adapted to engage in a recess 20, formed inthe rear portion ofthe pawl-block 15. The rear end of the spring finds abearing on either'one side or the other of a disk 21, seated at the rearend of the recess and mounted on a spindie 22, passing through thehandle and having at its lower end a crank 23, by which the disk may beturned. Formed in the edge of the disk is a slot 24, of such depth as toreceive the free end of the spring 18 when turned into alinementtherewith, as shown in Fig. 4, this ligure illustrating the centralposition of the spring and. disk, 'and the pawl-block being heldinoperative in either direction. When the parts are in the positionshown in Fig. 4, a slight turn ofthe disk 21 will carry thefree end ofthe spring to one side of such disk, this movement causing a movement inthe opposite direction of the `pawl-block to eect the engagementof oneofits teeth with the wheel3., The similar movement of the disk in theopposite direction will cause the opposite pawl-tooth to engage with thewheel, the shifting of the adjustment to effect rotation in onedirection or the other being thus accomplished in the simplestmanner.` v

The construction is such that the work of assemblement is very readilyaccomplished, the spring not requiring any iitting or fastening in placeand being readily removed and renewed when necessary.

IOO

The recess is covered by atop plate 24, one

end of which ts into a recess under the handleferrule and the oppositeend being secured in place by a single screw 26, which passes throughthe cover and into the stud 14, thus forming a readily removable topwhich will prevent the accumulation of dirt or dust Within the recess.

Various changes in the form, proportions, and the minor details ot'construction may be resorted to Without depart-ing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combinationin a ratchet-wrench, of a handle portion having an upper recessed face,a toothed Wheel mounted in said recess, adjustable jaws carried by saidwheel, a pawlblock pivoted in the recess and having two operating-pawls,a spring having one of its ends in operative engagement with saidpawlblock, a rotatable disk forming an end bearing for the opposite freeend of the spring, said disk having a radial slot or recess adapted toengage with the end of the spring to effect the reversal of itsbearing-points, and opposing fulcrums arranged about midway of thelength of the spring, substantially as specied.

2. The combination in a device of the class described, of the toothedoperating-Wheel, a pawl-block having two pawls or teeth adapted toengage said wheel, a spring in operative engagement with saidpawl-block, a rotatable disk forming an end bearing for the opposite'free end of the spring, said disk having a radial slot or recessadapted to engage with the spring to effect the reversal of itsbearingpoint, a spindle carrying said disk, a crank on the outer end ofsaid spindle, and opposing fulcrums arranged about midway of the lengthof said spring, substantially as specified.

3. The combination in a ratchet-Wrench of the base or handle portion 1having a recess 2, a toothed Wheel 3 mounted in said recess, a bar 5secured to said Wheel, adjustable jaws 8 guided on said bar, a threadedshaft 10 adapted to engage with said jaws, a stud 14, a pawl-block 15pivotedthereon and having engaging teeth 16, a spring 18 in operativeengagement with the rear end of the pawlblock, a notched disk 21 formingan end bearing for the opposite end of said spring, a crank 23 connectedto said disk, and opposing fulerums 17 arranged intermediate of thelength of the spring, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afxed mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE FRANKLIN SlRAGUE. vWitnesses:

J AMES W. BUNBAUGH, JUNE F. TIPTON.

